The present invention is directed to the field of scale model toy vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable suspension system that provides 1) an active damping mechanism (also referred to herein as shocks or shock absorbers) and 2) an adjustment to the shocks which changes the damping and sets the height of the toy vehicle body relative to the axis of the wheel/suspension arm units.
Known suspension systems for toy vehicles that utilize springs have generally been of the damping variety only. That is, the body of the vehicle will move relative to the axis of the wheel/suspension arm units, but the body ultimately returns to it""s original position. Therefore, known toy vehicle suspension systems using springs lack the ability to change the height of the body relative to the axis of the wheel/suspension arm units on a semi permanent basis. With the popularity of customizing full-size vehicles by changing the body height relative to the axis of the wheel/suspension arm units with the appropriate change in the behavior of the suspension (for example, lowering the body in the case of xe2x80x9clow ridersxe2x80x9d with their harder suspension and raising the body in the case of xe2x80x9chigh-rise trucksxe2x80x9d with their softer suspension), the need has been identified for a toy vehicle that can replicate these custom features.
The object of the present invention is to provide an active damping suspension system for a toy vehicle that includes the ability to set the height of the body relative to the axis of the wheel/suspension arm units on a semi permanent basis. The toy vehicle body may be adjusted higher relative to the axis of the wheel/suspension arm units or lower, depending on the customized xe2x80x9clookxe2x80x9d that the user desires. The present invention provides for a manual shock setting using a mechanism that combines a spring, and an adjustment element, such as a screw, at each wheel location, such that the toy vehicle body-wheel axis distance can be adjusted up or down via the adjustment element, and that such adjustments can be repeatedly made. These adjustments also soften or harden the suspension depending on whether the adjustment is made to raise or lower the vehicle body. The present invention may be further understood by consideration of the following drawings and associated description.